Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to methods of hydroponic cultivation and fertilizer compositions for hydroponic cultivation, and more specifically to a method for increasing plant yields while decreasing the associated costs of time, labor growing space, fertilizer, fumigation, water, etc., and decreasing the associated environmental impact.
Description of the Prior Art
The commercial production of plants and plant material for consumption is plagued with many difficulties associated with natural botanical characteristics and the environment in which the plants are grown. Proper horticultural practices to minimize these difficulties and maximize plant growth and production are necessary to ensure commercially viable production.
Commercial farms have evolved to grow plants in organized rows. The rows help facilitate the planting, feeding, trimming, feeding, watering, maintenance and harvesting of the plants or food products grown by the plants. Conventional growing practices often utilize flood-type irrigation techniques and mass spraying of chemicals used to fumigate and fertilize.
Flood irrigation and mass spraying, besides being wasteful of water and chemical resources, has the potential to damage surface soils and both ground water and surface water sources. Irrigating floodwater applied to fields promotes erosion and promotes run-off of fertilizers and pesticides into water sources. In arid environments flood irrigation often leads to soil mineralization associated with the buildup of surface salts. Flood irrigation also creates large swings over time in the amount of moisture in the soil, which stresses the plants.
Agricultural fields, especially those in continuous use, year after year, are usually infested with harmful nematodes that attack the roots of plants that are planted. Development of nematode resistant plant varieties and crop rotation have lessened the problem of nematode infestation to a limited extent. A field is typically fumigated before planting with a substance such as methyl bromide to kill the nematodes, but this also has achieved limited success since the harmful nematodes reside approximately 12 inches below the surface of the soil. The use of methyl bromide is also being severely restricted or banned completely in some regions due to adverse environmental effects associated with its use. Methyl bromide and other fumigants also kill many of the organisms in the soil that are beneficial to plants.
Furthermore, in traditional flood irrigation a significant percentage of water applied to a field is lost either through evaporation to the air or migration below the effective root zone of the plants. The downward migration of water also has the negative consequence of carrying fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides into the groundwater. This technique wastes water resources, as does more advanced sprinkler techniques, although to a lesser extent.
Thus, traditional cultivation methods in soil are wasteful of resources that are not focused on plant production, and has a harsh impact on the environment.
Hydroponic cultivation has been previously practiced to grow vegetables, flowers and other annual crops that do not develop a large root system. However, the use of hydroponic cultivation for perennial plants that typically develop large root systems, such as trees, vines, bushes and shrubs, has not been used. It was previously thought that the hydroponic cultivation of such plants would require large planting containers for the root systems to develop, which would not be cost effective.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a water based, nutrient rich solution. Hydroponics does not use soil, instead the root system is supported using an inert medium such as perlite, rock wool, clay pellets, peat moss, or vermiculite. The basic premise behind hydroponics is to allow the plants roots to come in direct contact with the nutrient solution, while also having access to oxygen, which is essential for proper growth.
Growing with hydroponics comes with many advantages, the biggest of which is a greatly increased rate of growth of plants. With the proper setup, plants can mature up to 25% faster and produce up to 30% more than the same plants grown in soil.
Plants can grow bigger and faster because they will not have to work as hard to obtain nutrients. Even a small root system will provide the plant exactly what it needs, so the plant will focus more on growing upstairs instead of expanding the root system downstairs.
All of this is possible through careful control of the nutrient solution and pH levels. A hydroponic system uses less water than soil based plants because the system is enclosed, which results in less evaporation. Hydroponics is better for the environment because it reduces waste and pollution from soil runoff.
Hydroponics is an excellent choice for all types of growers. It is a great choice because it gives you the ability to meticulously control the variables that effect how well your plants grow. A fine-tuned hydroponic system can easily surpass a soil based system in plant quality and amount of produce yielded.
All of this is made possible by the relationship of a plant with its growing medium. It isn't soil that plants need—it's the reserves of nutrients and moisture contained in the soil, as well as the support the soil renders the plant. Any growing medium will give adequate support. And by raising plants in a sterile growing medium in which there are no reserves of nutrients, you can be sure that every plant gets the precise amount of water and nutrients it needs. Soil often tends to leach water and nutrients away from plants, making the application of correct amounts of fertilizer very difficult. In hydroponics, the necessary nutrients are usually dissolved in water, and this resulting solution is applied to the plants in exact doses at prescribed intervals.
The right timing of nutrients takes into consideration the growth pattern of the crop and, therefore, natural changes in nutrient demand during the season. Crop development begins slowing from seed germination or transplanting, then increases through fruiting, and finally slows down at maturation. Anticipating changes in growth and nutrient demand is important so that fertilizer application can be timed to meet the needs of growth. A good example of timing of nitrogen and potassium fertilization to meet changes in crop development.
The current method of hydroponic vertical farming, i.e., growing plants, for example vegetables or pharmaceutical medicinal plants, in pots and hanging baskets, use a liquid formulation of 2-2-4 or 0-6-6 or plus calcium magnesium are very low nutrient charges to protect the plant roots from high soluble salts developing in the soil medium in a closed loop minimum leaching growing environment.
This low nutrient liquid requires multiple applications over the 2-3 months to 6 months grow period.